Mungo Park and the Niger

The volume opens with a sweeping look at humanity’s long fascination with the unknown, tracing early legends of a mysterious river later identified as the Niger. It then narrows its focus onto one of the age’s daring figures, a young Scottish surgeon whose restless curiosity drove him into West Africa. Through vivid narrative and contemporary letters, the first part paints a portrait of the man before his fame, revealing personal motivations and the hurdles that shaped his initial journey.

Listeners follow Park’s arduous trek from the Gambia’s coast through the Senegal basin, where he first meets harsh terrain, unfamiliar customs, and the threat of disease. Vivid scenes of bustling markets, riverine villages and towering baobabs bring the landscape to life, while Park’s reflections hint at the pressure to locate the elusive river. The story remains in the early phase of his adventure, inviting the audience to share his wonder and the growing sense of both possibility and peril.